Spoilers
by MissouriLady
Summary: UNDER DEVELOPMENT A new superhero comes to Starling after a threat is made against a member of Team Arrow. It's a wild ride, and will be breathtaking.


**Okay, I know that I posted a teaser on this story about a Lazarus pit (ETC) **

**I felt that it wasn't explained enough. And I know that I took it down. (SORRY!)**

**I wanted to do a prologue, which I know I'm taking liberties with characters from the DC universe, since the New 52 I haven't fully caught up yet but I want to bring a character I like to a known universe. **

**Find it interesting, critique me, do whatever you want (within reason) to my story but just remember... IT'S JUST A STORY! **

**Enjoy my lovelies. **

* * *

~Prologue~

Walking up the stairs, she pushed open the door into the night air. Turning to her right, she scanned the rooftop and saw him standing by the edge, looking over the city.  
Stuffing her hands in her coat pockets, she walked over to him.

"You know we don't have to keep meeting on rooftops." She smiled, as he turned. His dark hair and bright eyes brightened with his smile.

"Why ruin the good thing we have?" She laughed, walking up to him and wrapping her arms around him. His warm cologne filled her senses. He reminded her so much of home. Her heart ached to go home, but at the same time, she wasn't ready yet. She just savored his arms wrapping around her, holding her for a while.

"I came here for a reason." he whispered.

She leaned back, looking up into his face. His eyes gave nothing away. He was always good at masking his emotions.

"I'm not going back." She stepped out of his arms. "I'm not ready yet Tim, you can tell Bruce that. I'm not coming back yet, I still have two weeks of my internship. Then I might return to Gotham." She turned and looked out over Starling, her home for the last few months. Few knew she was here, completing her internship with Starling General Hospital after graduating from Gotham University.

"Steph, I didn't come here to bring you back. I know that if you wanted to come home you would have." Tim walked up next to her, looking out over the city with her.

She sighed. "I just needed to leave. Learning that my mom was working with my dad up to his death made me want to unleash my anger on the criminals of Gotham. They didn't deserve that."

"It's okay to want to get away. You don't have to explain yourself Steph, but the news I have isn't good."

Stephanie turned to him. "What is it Tim? Forget not to touch the Bat suit?"

Tim laughed, bringing a smile to her face. "I've missed your sense of humor. But I got this from Bruce last night." He pulled a file out from his pocket. He handed it over to her, and she saw that it was from the GCPD. Taking it from him, Stephanie looked up at him, seeing that he kept his gaze away from her.

"Tim? What is it?" He scuffed his foot on the roof, shoving his hands in his black leather jacket. "It's about your dad Steph."

She snorted. "Little hard since he's dead."

"Remember not all people stay dead. In our world there are ways to stay alive." His eyes stared into hers.

"No." She dropped the file. "He's been dead for eight years. WE BURIED HIM TIM!" She screamed at him. Whirling around Steph staggered to the edge, grasping the ledge in her hands, gasping for air to abate the nausea stirring in her gut.

She felt his hands on her shoulders. Tim was whispering breathing techniques in her ear to get her to calm down.

"No. Tim. Its. NOT. Possible." She gasped, every breath labored. She felt Tim kiss her hair, apologizing in her ear.

It took a while for her to calm down. They ended up sitting on the rooftop against the high ledge.

"I'm sorry Steph. I didn't want to upset you." Tim looked at her, his eyes full of sympathy.

She raised a shaky hand to his face, cupping her palm against it. Tim's eyes closed and he leaned into her hand. "It's okay Tim. I'm glad you came to tell me."

He sighed. "Still I wish that I didn't have to burden you with this."

"Tim, life happens. We just move on." Patting his face, he opened his eyes. "How? And When?"

Tim huffed, rolling back, pulling her legs over his lap. "Sometime last month. But it really started ten years ago. Your mother signed off on the Riddler freezing your dad. Something about preserving his comrade." Tim stared out in front of him, getting lost in the memories of the last eight years. "We never knew. But Riddler wanted your dad to come back, better than ever. About a year ago he met up with Ras al Ghul." Tim's hands tightened on her legs.

"Ras was intrigued at the idea that the Pit could be used to recreate a person. Not only with their usual traits, but more intelligent, and stronger. Over the past year, using some serum they found, Ras took over the project and brought your father back from the dead."

"Serum? What serum?" She asked. Tim shook his head.

"I don't know. They found it a year ago and started messing with it. It made your dad stronger, slightly faster, and more intelligent. I don't know how they did it, but Gordon saw him. Babs did too. He broke two of Dick's ribs in a single punch when we tried to stop him at the bank in Gotham."

"How do you know what happened? Where did he go?" Steph sat up her heart pounding.

"We don't know. Riddler sang like a canary after Babs kicked him in the ribs. Then, Talia met with Bruce to talk to him about it. And I mean after they you know 'talk'." Tim rolled his eyes.

"He came to Gotham, robbed a bank, beat up the Riddler, grabbed your mother, left a clue and vanished. We've tried to track him ever since." Tim ran a hand through his hair. "Bruce wanted me to bring you back to Gotham, but Barbara told him that you're safer here, during the last two weeks before you head back to Gotham."

"Four weeks. I couldn't get out of my lease till the end of the month." Tim grumbled, reaching for the file, pulling it towards them. "This is everything that Gordon found out, what we found out, and a copy of the clue. I hope you have better luck than we had." He stood up, grasping her hands, pulling her to her feet.

Holding the file in between them, she looked up into his face. Tim smiled wistfully down at her. He ran a hand down her face.

"Stephanie. I can stay." he whispered.

She shook her head. "No. I don't need a babysitter. Plus, you hate me, remember?"

"I was mad. I'm sorry. You just are so stubborn."

"It's part of my charm. That and kicking your ass in the training room." Tim laughed.

"Okay. I'll tell Bruce, and Babs who isn't going to like it. You're like a baby sister to her."

"I know. I'm a big girl I can take care of myself."

Tim bent his head, causing Stephanie's heart to pound. He brushed his lips against hers. Once. Twice. Three times before pulling back.

"Call me if you need help or want to come back to Gotham." With one last squeeze, Tim released her and walked over to the door and down the stairs.

"One situation at a time Tim."

* * *

Back at her apartment, Stephanie placed the file on her desk. Suddenly a black lump of fur plopped on her desk and rolled on her back.

"Selina, sweetie please get off my desk."

The cat just curled her tail and purred.

Stephanie huffed. "Spoiled cat. I should give you back to Selina. What a parting gift you are." She gently scratched behind Selina's ears, making her purr and move away. Grabbing the file, Stephanie flipped through the overviews of her father's last crimes. Then she got to the details of her father's resurrection, and got immersed in the medical jargon. Being a near graduate of the medical program from Gotham she was pleased that she could understand it. Her calling to being a doctor came from Alfred, and her time in Africa. She wanted to help people, in the ER, and on the streets.

Flipping past Stephanie saw the clue her father had left. Over and over again, 'I have Love. I will have Victory, Happiness and Legacy before I'm done.'

She frowned. It made no sense. Her father usually left clues about the victims, or the next target. It's what made him and the Riddler get along so well. She leaned back in the chair, staring at the paper trying to make sense of it. She turned on her laptop and typed in 'Victory'. Searching through thousands of results it made no sense to her. Nothing. Changing tactics, she typed in 'Happiness.' Still nothing that made sense. Legacy was obvious, a carrying on of traditions. Love though meant many things, her father never felt love.

_Except he loved your mother. _

Stephanie sat upright. Her mother. She loved her father, and he loved her. The others had meanings too.

Turning back to the screen she researched till dawn started to streak across the sky. Leaning back, Stephanie found tears. She knew what her father wanted. And she wasn't going to let it happen.

* * *

Walking into the large glass lobby, Stephanie walked to the information desk.

"Hello."

"Hello Miss may I help you?" The security guy asked.

"Yes. I'd like to see somebody please."

"Name. And reason."

"Stephanie Brown, and I want to have lunch with my cousin."

He lifted an eyebrow. "Okay. Cousin's name?"

"Felicity Smoak."


End file.
